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Eric DeCosta knows more than most finding the right fits in any NFL draft is about more than just matching talent with team needs. The Baltimore Ravens’ general manager also knows it’s important to draft those prospects who fit the style and cultural identity of your franchise.
DeCosta can find one such player who has been recommended as a natural fit for the Ravens. One of the team’s former scouts, who now works as a draft analyst for NFL Network, has found what he calls a “DNA match” for the Ravens’ footballing identity.
Fortunately, this same player just so happens to play a position where the Ravens have an obvious need this season. He would help fix a pass defense that went stale at both ends in 2021.
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Ex-Ravens Scout Talks Up Player Coached by Marcus Peters’ Mentor
During a conference call with NFL Media, Daniel Jeremiah talked up a player at least one member of the Ravens is familiar with. From the transcript, Jeremiah had the following to say about Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie: “He’s a red star guy. Just everything about him, the way he plays, everything I hear about him from an intangibles standpoint. I would think he would be a good match. They’ve got bigger corners that they’ve had over the years, but I think he’s kind of a DNA match for how they play.”
Jeremiah, who spent a year as a west coast scout for the Ravens in 2005, explained how the team defined the term ‘red star:’ “Yeah, we used to do a thing in Baltimore, and they still do it today, with red star players. You put the red star on the guy that you just want in the building. Might not be the best player in the draft, at his position, might not be the best player at his school, but he’s somebody that fits the culture. He’s tough. He’s intelligent. He’s competitive.”
McDuffie certainly fits the description. He was scrappy and productive during three seasons with the Huskies.
The best of those seasons was his final year in 2021, when McDuffie made four tackles for loss, registered a sack and broke up six passes, per Sports Reference. He was similarly active as a freshman two years earlier, when McDuffie forced a pair of fumbles and made three recoveries.
If there’s one concern about the numbers it will be the lowly tally of two interceptions in three seasons. Yet, this can be a misleading statistic because most quarterbacks avoid genuine shutdown corners or even just the ultra-opportunistic ones.
McDuffie was a cornerback opposing teams were wise to avoid. When they did test him, they received little change, as this graphic from PFF Draft shows:
Any concerns the Ravens might have about McDuffie can be answered by a word with his college head coach, Jimmy Lake. The latter already has a connection with former Huskies’ standout and current Ravens star Marcus Peters, per Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings: “Lake played a direct role in developing players like Peters, King, Baker, and Jones. And in the 2022 NFL Draft, McDuffie might become the next Huskies DB to command an early selection.”
Peters’ injury woes last season are one reason why McDuffie is becoming a popular pick for the Ravens at 14th-overall in many mock drafts.
CB a Familiar Choice in Ravens Mock Drafts
Peters tore his ACL on the eve of last season, denying the Ravens the big-play specialist in their secondary. His absence was compounded when fellow cornerback Marlon Humphrey tore a pectoral muscle in December.
Options on the back end became so threadbare it was a guessing game who the Ravens would start outside during the final weeks of the season. The carousel of unconvincing cover men combined with a strangely toothless pass rush to leave the Ravens unusually vulnerable through the air.
A defense that was the toughest in the league against the run, allowed a league-high 4,742 yards aerially, while opposing QBs completed 63.9 percent of their passes.
Those numbers should improve once veterans like Humphrey and Peters are up to full speed. The latter told Sway Calloway of Sway in the Morning back in February how he expects to be healthy in time for training camp.
Having Peters and Humphrey available again is the target, but it doesn’t mean the Ravens won’t address the position in the draft. Not when DeCosta told reporters earlier in April he wants to “have a strong secondary and have as many corners as possible,” per Around the NFL’s Nick Shook.
The door is being left open for a prospect like McDuffie, whose name has appeared next to the Ravens in more than one mock draft. He’s the team’s best choice, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., who wrote McDuffie “will wrap up and bring down ball carriers in the run game. He’s physical.”
Those characteristics will suit a Ravens franchise that’s prided itself on its toughness and traditionally been defense-led. McDuffie’s willingness to tackle all over the field has earned him a lot of admirers during the pre-draft process, including Cover 1 national scout Russell Brown:
A corner as physical as McDuffie would be a good fit for the slot in this Baltimore defense. He’d also suit the Ravens’ “man-heavy” coverage style, according to NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks.
The Ravens will need three quality cornerbacks in the AFC North where Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase make the Cincinnati Bengals a consistent source of big plays. This year the Ravens will also have to contend with Deshaun Watson throwing passes for the Cleveland Browns.
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